Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun condemned on Tuesday the murder of al-Jadeed television cameraman Ali Shabaan while on duty near the Syrian border on Monday.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “We hope the truth behind the incident will be revealed.”

Arrest warrants have been issued on Tuesday against three people on charges of smuggling arms to Syria.

Two Lebanese, Ahmed Mohammed M. and Husseim Kamil A., and a Palestinian, Zeinab Safi G., are included in the warrants, while investigations are underway to determine the full identity of their two accomplices, Walid Haidar and Issam Hatoum.

The deputy head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s Defense Office, Alia Aoun, has informed the Registrar that she intends to return to practice as an attorney, the court said in a press release on Tuesday.

“Following the start of the judicial phase of the STL on 1 February 2012, it is now primarily for the Defense Counsel to ensure the protection of the rights of the accused and equitable justice,” the statement quoted Aoun as saying.

A teacher in Tyre has been arrested for raping one of his students, reported Voice of Lebanon radio on Tuesday.

The teacher, a male in his mid-fifties, is accused of raping the 12-year old boy at a private school in the southern city.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel revealed on Tuesday that investigations in the murder of slain al-Jadeed television cameraman Ali Shaaban are underway.

He condemned the incident to al-Sharq radio, saying that it “was very unfortunate, especially since the cameramen were unarmed.”

The funeral procession for slain al-Jadeed television cameraman Ali Shaaban was held on Tuesday at his hometown of Maifadoun in southern Lebanon.

A number of politicians, local residents, media personalities welcomed the casket as it arrived at the town.

The Syrian crisis will likely have serious repercussions on Lebanon as the international community failed to intervene to stop the bloodshed in Damascus and establish “safe zones,” a report by the European Institute for the Mediterranean (EuroMeSCo) said.

“The Lebanese parties worry that a Syrian civil war could actually spill over into Lebanon where Sunni-Shiite tension is high,” Riad Kahwaji, the writer of the report, said.

The Palestinian National Security forces took on Monday control of a checkpoint in the refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh that was manned by a faction led by Munir Maqdah as part of a process of assuming all headquarters and checkpoints.

The Palestinian Armed Struggle headed by Mahmoud Issa, who goes by the nom de guerre of al-Lino, and Maqdah’s faction named the “headquarters” were integrated into the National Security forces at the order of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The municipality of the northern city of Tripoli witnessed mass resignations in protest of the performance of its head, forcing Tripoli to join the municipal by-elections that will take place on May 6.

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday that 10 members of Tripoli’s municipal council submitted their resignations, and the number will likely reach 13.

Israeli officials are concerned about reports that Hizbullah is putting its hands on Syrian arms, though it is still unclear whether the Lebanese party has gotten hold of chemical weapons, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper quoted Israeli officials as saying that it remains unclear how far Washington will go to help bring about the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad.